Mechanism for producing curved metal articles



R. KQRTING Aug. 5, 1941.

MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING CURVED METAL ARTICLES Filed April 9, 1938 Patented Aug. 5, 1941 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANISM non PRODUCING ounvnn METAL ARTICLE S Robert Kiirting, Kochstedt, Germany, assignor to Junkers Flugzeng-und-Motorenwerke Aktiengesellschaft, Dessau, Germany Application April 9, 1938, Serial No. 201,086

In Germany May 31, 1937 3 Claims. (01.153-2) My invention relates to the production of curved sheet metal articles and more especially curved channels, or other profllated sheet metal strips of open cross-section. It has particular reference to the means for producing these articles. It is an object of my invention to provide means which enable such sheet metal aring presents diiiiculties, for instance strips of Z- like cross-section to be bent on edge, are produced by first bending, in a known manner, with the aid of a templet a strip of a different, readily bendable cross-section, forming an intermediate product, part of which equals the cross-section of the strip to be produced. The profllated rod or strip thus obtained is then cut longitudinally into two or more parts, one or all of which constitute the profllated product desired.

A particularly favorable mode of proceeding includes the production of an intermediate product, the'cross-section of which is composed of the symmetrically arranged cross-sections of a pair of strips which constitute the final product, so

that by cutting the intermediate product in two parts .two symmetrically equal products are obtained. A cutting device such as required for this purpose may consist of one or a plurality of circular saws arranged, in juxta-position or in series, in different planes, these saws being arm under spring action) this carrier being pro vided with a spacing roller or .the like applied against the sheet metal body to be cut and thereby holding the cutting device in the correct posi-' tion relative to the workpiece.

In the drawing aiiixed to this specification and forming part thereof some embodiments of abending and cutting device according to-my invention are illustrated diagrammatically by way of example. r

V In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of a combined bending and cutting device, the bending being effected with the aid of a segment arranged for rocking movement.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line IIII and Fig. 3 is a similar view. on the line IIIIII in Fig. 1. I I

Fig, 4 is a plan view of a bending and cutting device comprising a bending templetof irregular shape.

Fig.v 5 is a cross-section, on the line V-V in Fig. 4, of the templet and the sheet metal body to be curved.

Figs. 6 to 8 are perspective views of parts of bent profllated strips, which allow producing the final products illustrated by the cross-sections shown in Figs. 6a, 7a and 8a, respectively.

If it is for instanceintended to produce a sheet metal channel of sickle-like cross-section such as shown in Fig. 6a, I first produce, by folding a sheet metal strip or in some other way, a straight tube having a' cross-section such as shown in Fig. 6 and I then bend it in a bending device mounted on the bed of the bending machine for I adjustment in such manner that they will cut the intermediate product in two halves, while it is still being bent or after it has been bent.

to produce the curved shape according to Fig. 6.

A bending device adapted for use in such a case is shown in Figs. 1 to 3. I is a tableor bed plate and 3 is a segment-shaped templet mounted for oscillation about a journal I extending across the table I and carrying, on the other side. of the table, a gear 8 meshing with another gear 9, which may be driven by suitable means (not shown). 6 is an arm keyed on the journal or shaft 2 and carrying at its free end an eccentrically mounted clamping roller! serving to clamp the straight tube 4 to the templet I. If the journal or shaft 2 is now rotated in the direction of the arrow a, the arm 8 and the templet 3 are rocked in the same direction. The tube 4, being prevented by a roller I! mounted on the table I from following this rocking movement is forced to apply itself against the curved surface of the segment 3 and to be thus bent into, contact with this surface.

After having thus been curved, the tube 4 is now placed in thecutting device mounted also 1 on the table I and consisting of a guide roller 1 l2 and a circular saw I3 mounted for rotation in a sliding block I which can be adjusted in guides mounted on the plate I by means of the hand wheel l6 and spindle l|.- The circular saw l3,

which may be set rotating for instance by means jof a flexible shaft I3, is so adjusted relative to ithe roller-l2 that it cuts the curved tube 4 placed In order to be able to bend profllated stripswhich can be bent only with diillculty, according to an irregular curve, for instance acurve other than a circle, I may employ a bending device such as illustrated in Fig. 4. Here the straight sheet metal channel 40 is fixed by means of a strap 2| to a curved templet 23 and drawn, together with the templet, through between two abutments 25 and 26 mounted on the table M. The abutment 25 is formed by a roller rotatably mounted on a journal 28 and supporting the templet 23. The abutment 26 is a block formed in accordance with the cross-section of the outside of the channel 40 and applying itself against this channel. On being drawn past the block 26 "the channel 40 is continuously forced down onto such as 'shown in Fig. 741, I first produce a channel, for instance of the kind shown in Fig. "I, which can be bent more easily and can thereafter be cut in two parts, each possessing the desired ;cross-section of the final product. On the intermediate product of Fig. ,7 having been bent by means of a bending device such as shown in Fig. 4, the templet 23 together with the curved intermediate product 4! is passed once more between the two abutments 25 and 26, however the circularsaw 43 is .made to act on the intermediate product along the middle line indicated in Fig. 7. The saw 43 is here mounted for rotation on the arm 36 arranged for rocking move-. ment about the pin 35. On .the axle carrying the saw is also mounted a spacingdisk or roller 31, which is acted upon by a coil spring 38 and applied against the curved rod 40, thereby causing the saw to cut the sheet metal body to uniform depth. The rock arm 36 can be temporarily fixed in its position in the block 26 by means of fa bolt or screw 39. The curved templet 23 is preferably formed with a groove 29, which the Preferably the cross-section ,of the intermediate product is so chosen'that all. the parts of the intermediate product severed bycutting are fit for subsequent use. In order to produce for instance channels curved on edge as shown in Fig.

. .841, I may for instance bend a channel such as inthe opposite direction and a cutter such as and away from the line of passage, and means tion shown and described for obvious modificato a person skilled in the art.

face cooperable with the face of said shaped abutment, a circular saw positioned adjacent the passage between said abutments in longitudinally offset relation thereto, the face thereof lying in a plane substantially-parallel to that in which the abutments lie, means for moving the periphery of said saw toward and away from the line of passage, and means for passing said templet together with the sheet metal strip in either direction between said abutments whereby the latter may be bent in conformity with the templet curve during passage in one direction and severed longitudinally by the adjusted saw on its return passage.

2. Mechanism of the class described comprising, in combination, an abutment, a second abut-' ment spaced therefrom and having a face shaped to the cross-sectional shape of the metal strip to be bent, a curved bending templet having one face cooperable with the'face of said shaped abutment, a circular saw positioned adjacent the passagebetween said abutments in longitudinally ofiset relation thereto, the face thereof lying in a plane substantially parallel to that in which the abutments lie, means for moving the periphery of said saw toward and away from the line of passage, means for passing said templet together withthe sheet metal strip in either direction between said abutments whereby thelatter may be bent in conformity with the templet curve during passage in one direction and severed longitudinally by the adjusted saw on its return passage, and means associated with said saw for engaging a face of the metal strip during cutting to thereby limit the extent of penetration by the saw. I i

3. Mechanism of the class described comprising, in combination, an abutment, a second abutment spaced therefrom and having a face shaped tothe cross-sectional shape of the metal strip to be bent, a curved bending templet having one face cooperable with the face of said shaped abutment, a circular saw positioned by one of said abutments adjacent the passage therebetween in longitudinally offset relation thereto, the facethereof lying in a plane substantially parallel to that in which the abutments lie, means for moving the periphery of said saw toward for passing said templet together withthe sheet metal strip in either direction between said abutments whereby the latter may be bent in conformity with the templet curve during passage in one direction and severed longitudinally by the adjusted saw on its return passage.

ROBERT KGR'I'ING, 

